Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 – 1864) was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer.
Much of Hawthorne’s writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral metaphors with an anti-Puritan inspiration.
His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, dark romanticism.
His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity.
(from wikipedia.org)